COMMUNITY NEWS Looking for some fun, FREE, educational, and super cool to do this Saturday? Head to the Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library for entertaining demos and hands-on learning with the Ole Miss School of Engineering.

NATIONAL TENNIS COACH OF THE YEAR FINALIST Congratulations to Lafayette Tennis coach Debbie Swindoll for being selected as one of eight finalists for tennis coach of the year. Swindoll was nominated by the Mississippi High School Coaches Association for career longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championships, and winning percentage. In her 15-year career at Lafayette, Swindoll has four state championships (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and one state championship runner-up title in 2019.

Join us tonight and cheer on the boy's soccer team for the North Half match-up against Corinth., or catch the live-stream on channel one https://lafco.live

Congratulations to the Lafayette nominees for the Lindy Callahan Scholar-Athlete Award. One boy and one girl from each of the MHSAA’s eight districts are chosen for their academic accomplishments, participation in high school athletics, and extracurricular activities.

The ladies of the pitch take on New Hope tonight for the North Half Championship. Come out and support.

LAFAYETTE SCHOLAR Gabriel Swain, a freshman at Lafayette High School, has been selected to join the Junior Academy of the New York Academy of Sciences. A competitive international program for students passionate about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the Junior Academy connects promising young innovators with STEM mentors worldwide to solve pressing global challenges. Swain’s cohort will tackle two challenges. Student teams will design solutions to address air pollution's impact on non-communicable diseases and to help humans survive in extreme environments. Swain will have access to the Global STEM Alliance Network, virtual team-based innovation challenges designed by industry leaders, and online STEM learning modules. The Junior Academy operates through Launchpad, a virtual collaborative learning platform that students use to participate in innovation challenges virtually while working across different time zones and cultures. The program emphasizes design thinking, teamwork, cross-cultural communication, and project management skills. Past Junior Academy projects have addressed issues ranging from ethical AI implementation to sustainable textile production, cybersecurity, and urban gardening solutions for food security. Swain, 14, recently earned recognition at Lafayette High School as a Commodore Scholar, for his perfect score on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program. Last year, he showcased one of his computer games at the Mississippi Educational Computing Association conference. He earned the Top Student Award at the National Security Agency's GenCyber Camp at Mississippi State University, where he developed expertise in Python programming and cybersecurity. Swain’s STEM activities also have included game development, particle physics workshops at the University of Mississippi, environmental science, and ocean plastics' impact on human health through Lafayette School District’s QUEST gifted program. “I look forward to working with other high school students from around the world,” Swain said. “I hope we come up with some great ideas!” CONGRATULATIONS GABRIEL AND THANKS FOR BEING "ANCHORED TO EXCELLENCE"!

REMINDER The LHS Counseling Center is hosting informational meetings tonight for parents of upcoming 9th graders and 12th graders. LHS Commons 5:30 - 9th Grade 6:30 - 12th Grade

LES Dental Hygiene Visit Mrs. Parker's first-grade class at LES had a special guest—one of our student's moms—who came to share valuable tips on dental hygiene! The students learned about the best foods for their teeth and which ones to avoid for a healthy smile! Thank you to our guest for sharing such important information with our young learners!

LUES Library Mrs. Newman’s Library classes at LUES had a blast choosing a Caldecott book to read! After diving into the story, the students got creative and built Lego figures to bring the book to life. It’s a wonderful way to combine reading with hands-on fun!

The LCSD School Board has approved the 2025-2026 School Calendar. You can now view or download a copy of the calendar. https://5il.co/37a64

PARENTS' NIGHT OUT Join us for Parents' Night Out – a fun and relaxing evening while your kids enjoy a special event at school. It’s the perfect chance for some well-deserved time to yourselves! 📅 Date & Time: Friday, February 14 from 6:00-9:00 📍 Location: LMS Gym Use the QR code or click https://forms.gle/f5hZTanJhynCVxLk8 to register today! We can’t wait to see you there!

PASSING THE ANCHOR Mrs. Spinks passed the anchor to Mrs. Shelbi McCain at the LUES Faculty Meeting on Wednesday. She stated her hard work doesn't go unnoticed, and she appreciates her passion for ensuring our students receive the help they need to be successful. Congratulations!

Archery Opener Today at LMS Gym. Let's go! Best of luck in your season.

CONGRATULATIONS to our LCSD Employees of the Month for January!

RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT Congratulations to the LUES Lafayette Leaders honored at the Parent Breakfast for displaying the characteristics of responsibility and respect during January.

LMS faculty selected Ms. Mary Beth Smith as their Golden Helm winner for January. The Golden Helm is the LMS version of Teacher of the Month and is given to someone who is leading the way to excellence.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY The sixth-grade QUEST students presented to LUES about energy savings and shared a video they created about how to recycle efficiently.

It's National School Counseling Week, and we are excited to celebrate our hardworking counselors. Thank you for being Anchored to Excellence.

Exciting News for Incoming Freshmen & Seniors! Join us for an important Student & Parent Meeting! Don’t miss out on key information and upcoming events. See you there!

Mind-In-The-Making: Our final installment of the series will be this Thursday evening, February 6, at LES. Dinner will begin at 5:30 in the foyer/gym, and the meeting will follow at 6:00 in the school library. This has been an exciting series with good engagement. Thanks to everyone who has taken part in this series. We look forward to seeing you and any newcomers on Thursday evening. Please be sure to RSVP if you plan to attend so that in addition to the session, we can be prepared to serve you a meal, provide a gift card, and care for your children if needed. https://forms.gle/s5z3Gie751uYAuL28